Head-bandage.



No. 649,896. Patented May 22, |960. J. S. BAUGHMAN.

HEAD BANDAGE.

(Wo Modal.)

irren Snrns JACOB S. BAUGIIMAN, OF BURLINGTON, OVA.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent NO. 649,896, lated May 22, 1900. Application filed JanuaryV 4, 1900l Serial No. 373. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, JACOB S. BA'UGHMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Head- Bandage, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a bandage or brace to keep the mouth closed during sleep 5 and the object of the same is to elfect a forceful closure of the mouth and cause respiration to ensue exclusively through the nostrils during sleep without annoyance or inconvenience.

The nostrils, as well known, are the natural and proper channels for respiration, and the unnatural substitution by a great number of persons of the mouth for that purpose causes snoring, an undue absorption of malarious and infectious air, a dryness of the palate, tongue, and lips, a predisposition to laryngitis, throat troubles of other natures, catarrhal troubles, and a general impairment of health.

The improved device is intended to aid nature in forcing the breath through the proper and excluding it from the improper channels without being in the least detrimental or injurious to the human system.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing the improved device operatively applied. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the improved device. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the device. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the connecting-slides.

Similarnumerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The bandage comprises a chin member l and a pressure member 2, connected by a transverse intermediate web 3 and, as shown by Fig. 2, forming a device in blank having a shape approximately like the letter H. The member l is longer and wider than the member 2, and the openin gs between the two members permit the ends to be drawn together and united, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and produce a sling conforming in shape to the human chin or the front portion of the lower jaw. The member 2 being shorter than the member l will cause it to be drawn inward, as will be understood, when the two ends are connected to the ends of the member l, and

turns on the web 3, which serves not only as a hinge, but as a tie for the two members both during their assemblage and after they have been secured. The united ends of the mem-l bers l and 2 are attached to the lowertermi-y nals of elastic cheek-straps4, and the securel ment of the ends of the membersl and 2 and the lower terminals of the said straps may be carried out in one operation. The straps 4 are each made long to extend up over the front portion of the head, and the upper terminal of one of them has a buckle 5 fixed thereto, with which the upper terminal of the other is adapted to adjustably engage. The straps 4 yieldingly hold the bandage proper against the chin, as shown in Fig. 1, with the pressure member 2 adjacent the under lip and the member l under the chin to prevent the unconscious dropping of the jaw and Open'- ing of the mouth. It is also necessaryto hold the straps 4 in place and prevent them from slipping', and for this purpose a brow-band 6 is used and made of such length that it will extend entirely around the head in an adjustable manner, and has on one terminal a buckle 7 and in the opposite terminal a series of openings S for adjustable engagement with said buckle. Opposite portions of the brow-'band 6 are passed through an adjustingslide E), provided with oppositely-alined pairs of slots l0 and 1l, the band G having its opposite parts passed through the slots 10, and the straps 4 are inserted through the slots ll. The slides 9 are preferably of disk form, as shown by Fig. 4, and have smooth faces to bear lightly against the head at a point where injury will not result by such light pressure.

From the foregoing disclosure it will be observed that the bandage can be adjusted for application to diiferent persons, and the slides will also serve to establish sufficient friction to hold the parts in place after adjustment and may be formed of any material suitable for the purpose. Diiferent sizes of the device are to be formed to iit adults or children, and in the use of the device the parts will always be arranged to give the best support with the greatest comfort and to avoid annoyance or inconvenience or disturbance of sleep.

Changes in the form, proportions,and minor details may be resorted to without in thc least IOO departing from the principle or sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. In a bandage of the characterset forth, the combination of a sling to iit over the chin, comprising upper and lower lmembers connected by an intermediate web in a plane at right angles to said members, the lower member being longer than and. having its extremities attached to the extremities of the upper member to thereby give the proper shape to the sling and position the upper member under the lower lip when applied, elastic straps attached to the united ends of the said members and means for holding the said elastic straps in place.

' 2. In a bandage .of the character'set forth, the combination of a sling to iit over the chin, comprising upper and lower members connected by an intermediate web in a plane at right angles to said members, the lower memberbeing longer than and having its extremities attached to the extremities of the upper member to thereby give the proper shape to the sling` and position the upper member under the lower lip when applied, elastic straps attached tothe united ends of the said members, an adjustable brow-band movably engaging said straps and frictioneslides on the said straps through which the brow-band movably extends, said slides holdingthe parts in their adj usted position.

- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JACOB S. BAUGI-IMAN. Witnesses:

FLORENCE KINKAID, W. L. COOPER. 

